The Philadelphia Flyers have completed a little more restricted free agent work, signing Morgan Frost to a one-year, one-way contract worth $800K. Frost was not yet eligible for arbitration and had little leverage in negotiations.
This is something of a “show me” deal for the 23-year-old forward, who hasn’t been able to find much consistency at the NHL level to this point. In 77 career games, he has 23 points, though those have been spread over three seasons and haven’t been noticeable enough to really cement him as a true building block for the future.
In fact, some would argue that his development has been so scarred by constant bouncing between the AHL and NHL that Frost will never become the cerebral offensive dynamo that the Flyers hoped for when they made him the 27th overall pick in 2017. He did have 19 points in 24 games at the AHL level this season but even there his game was marred with inconsistency.
Still, having only turned 23 in May, there is still time to turn it around. If given the opportunity this season Frost might still be able to turn into a full-time contributor, and since Philadelphia’s big moves in free agency have been more geared toward bottom-six help, there could be an opening higher in the lineup. If he wants to be an impact player in the NHL this is the season to prove it.
Dude had a chance to be a good 2C.
However the Flyers did what they constantly do.
1-Block young players with useless contracts of veterans so they can never see consistent playing time.
2-Bury them in the AHL/restrict their time. The Flyers need to learn the AHL isn’t much of a developmental league anymore, it’s where you store your reserves. Juniors is where you CAN succeed, I can’t imagine how well playing with washed your Forwards and career AHLers really helps them. Flyers also have a long history of players succeeding in juniors and when they bring them up to the NHL throw them on the 3rd/4th line, get 14 minutes a night/ no power play, and then ask “what happened to so and so and their 100 point junior season?!?!?”
Frost had a few nights under 12 minutes I believe. What’s he suppose to do playing 12 minutes with Patrick brown and Jackson Cates?